Portland City Council to Review Transportation Funding Options

Thursday, October 09, 2014

Kirsten Nicolaisen, GoLocalPDX Digital Producer

Portland City Council will discuss the 'Our Streets PDX' transportation funding approaches recommended by two workgroups at a meeting in the city council chamber on Monday afternoon.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for city council to review recommendations about how residential income tax rates should fund street maintenance and safety repairs. No decisions will be made at the work session.

A business workgroup and a nonprofit, low-income workgroup were formed in July to provide recommendations about transportation funding.

The workgroups proposed that residents making over $250,000 should be taxed $20 a month and those making over $500,000 be taxed $100 a month. All the funding options were designed to raise the same amount of money, therefore this higher cap for high-income people translates to lower taxes for people with lower incomes, according to city council.

Workgroup members have also proposed that 50 percent of the funds be used for street maintenance and 50 percent for safety such as sidewalks and crosswalk improvements.

The workgroups’ recommendations are available online. The report summarizes areas of agreement and differences between the two groups.

Public comments may be submitted in writing to [email protected]. A first reading of a transportation funding proposal is currently scheduled during the Nov. 12 regular Council meeting.